The invention relates to a universal display rack. More particularly, the invention relates to a rack which supports in a vertical position a variety of objects which are otherwise not free-standing items.
When it is desirable to display a non-freestanding item in a vertical position, some type of base is necessary to rigidly hold the item, so that it's center of gravity remains above some portion of the base. To accomplish the necessary rigid connection with the item, the base must typically be particularly tailored to fit the item it is supporting.
One attempt at a universal base are the slotted racks often used in retail display. The slots are typically arranged in a multi-tiered rack that extends several feet in height. Most typically, greeting cards are displayed for sale in this manner. An example of such a rack is disclosed by Wegscheid et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,396.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,926 to Lewis et al. discloses a display rack which is die cut and folded to form a terraced display rack for displaying baseball cards or the like. U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,928 to Felton discloses a merchandise display rack. U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,073 to Klein et al. discloses a hanging shoe rack.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,949,192 to Maliff; 4,573,591 to Chap; and 4,863,020 to Klemow disclose various multi-tiered display racks.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.